The aim of the study was to investigate the sources of domestic water and its status in terms of
quality at Velezizweni, a rural area in Swaziland. A questionnaire was developed and administered to 190
homesteads that were randomly selected from a total of 360 homesteads in the study area. The information
solicited by the questionnaire included sources of domestic water, perception of community members on
degradation of water resources and measures taken to purify drinking water. Water samples were taken from
14 water sources during the month of January 2011, and analysed for total coliform, Escherichia coli (E. coli)
and Faecal streptococci (F. streptococci). The sources of domestic water with the proportion of respondents
accessing water from each one of them were (piped water, 45%), rivers and streams (31%), unprotected wells
(24%), boreholes (15%), roof-water harvesting (8%) and dams (0.5%). Each homestead accessed water from
more than one source in most cases. The piped water was diverted from rivers/streams, springs and wells and
piped to homesteads or within the vicinity of the homesteads. However the water was not potable as it was not
treated. Water from boreholes was suitable for drinking as no E. coli or F. streptococci were detected. However
water from the other sources was not suitable for drinking as E. coli and F. streptococci were detected. Total
coliform was also present in amounts above the acceptable limit of 10 counts per 100 mL of water. The
communities were exposed to waterborne diseases such as cholera and diarrhea, especially because only 6%
of the respondents reported that they boiled water before drinking.